LA, CA Good or lucky things that happened at work today...

Congrats to my very good buddy, JR, who just got a promotion. No extra money, more responsibility and staff to deal with. Hmm, congrats may not be the right word. Seriously though, it's well deserved.

On the bad end, one of my co-workers also got promoted which means all of the work she used to do now falls upon my very incapable hands. It's bad all around in that case. Her's is also well-deserved but it's bad for me so it's a bitter sweet congrats to her.

 

Congrats JR!

 

Congrats, JR!

Sympathies, DH!

 

Man, just be careful about that "fire" and "no permits" and "no insurance" thing -- especially now that bigtime fire season is underway. Even if you're in the desert, sparks and embers can be carried a long way...we had to help two people evacuate in a hurry in 2003.

Mary-SPM

 

Absolutely, but fortunately this was in a dry lakebed so the ridges were all pretty high, with very little shrubbery around.

The band did a great job preparing, but the only issue was I told them I wanted two fire extinguishers on location just in case, and nobody honored that request. It's not a good idea to be burning anything without fire extinguishers, IMO, so that wasn't cool. But everything went well.

In the future we won't do any shoots without permits, insurance, etc. It's only because we had so little time to organize this shoot properly that we did it this way. Who knows if we could have even gotten a permit, and I'd rather beg forgiveness than ask permission in a case like this. It was too good of an idea, too good of a location to let something like a permit stand in the way. Sometimes you just have to run and gun, rogue filmmaker style. There will never be another shoot without insurance, though, because we'll be purchasing necessary yearly DICE production insurance so the equipment will be covered from now on. Extra insurance usually must be purchased for using fire, stunts, etc.

We're editing the video now, I'll share it when I have it done.

 

Congratulations, JR! Way to go!!!

 

Congrats on having more work to do JR and DH. You both deserve it.

Work sucks right now at my place. Glad I'm leaving and I hope they get it all straightened out before I return. Everything has changed and I don't think there is a solid replacement plan. Our current procedures will be abolished come October and today I asked what were the new ones and I got nothing but blank stares. I guess having new procedures before nixing the old ones wasn't a priority. What was I thinking?

 

I guess the saving grace is that the "albatross-like" project I have been working on with the other co-worker will likely get shelved soon and I'll get a regular and reasonable project after that. People keep coming over to say I'm next (promotion wise) and I keep telling them I like my odd hours and don't want to mess it up with a promotion. Besides I have tons of Legos to assemble still. I blew off the last promotional exam by staying home and playing Legos with my padawan. Personally I thought it was a better use of my time.

I feel kind of bad because JR found out about his promotion through me. We were told about my co-worker's promotion via email and so I called JR to see if he had received the phone call. I guess it was in his voicemail but he had not retrieved it yet so he officially found out about an hour or so after my call. My division engineer told me that JR was going to get an offer. There was a bunch of juggling involved. Suffice it to say that JR's promotion is a good one because he gets to stay in his division and continue to work on his big project. The other opportunities were not so promising.

Poor SR. I hope someone comes up with new procedures by the time you return. It's either that or you can do it when you get back. Of course if it were me, I'd use the same procedures but change them slightly so it looks different.

 

SR -- I'm so sorry about work! I'm actually working harder at home than I was there, but it's for us so it's worth it. I've never been so sure I made a right choice as I am about leaving that place. My only sadness is missing you and pretty much everyone else in our hall.

 

Thanks friends for the nice words. It'll be a challenge, but that's the nature of things.

 

Okay, okay, buck up people -- here are some surprises from the "Singing Bee" taping last night...yeah yeah, not "my" workplace but Cherie's, but mine is not nearly as cool as this:

http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x300/minxvole/Celebrities/?action=view&current=candbarrybarrybarry.jpg

http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x300/minxvole/Celebrities/?action=view&current=candvillagepeople.jpg

You're some of the first to know -- the show will have celebrity episodes, they lead-in the show, then participate throughout. The M show was the best, he sang duets during the competition with both of the female finalists (can you imagine being able to say you sang on TV with him? Geez, even American Idol doesn't do that). and contrary to recent reports, was the consummate cooperative showman and really into it. And everyone in the audience got his latest CD. The VP were great as usual, sang twice, and Mr. M sang four times -- I won't give away the Hallowe'en show guest but the set decorations alone were great. Everyone was really enthusiastic even as it got to 1:00 a.m. and it is a FUN show to watch. If anyone wants to go some evening, I can hook you up. Their current round of taping ends a week from Sat, and they're going to have at least one more taping day with celebs involved.

Mary-SPJ

 

I had lunch with JR today.

 

We got office space in Burbank yesterday, so now I can actually go to "work" starting in October! It'll be cool. Small space but good for us.

 

SPJ,
I have the overwhelming urge to sing, "At the Copa - Copa Cabana, the hottest place north of Havana..."

 

Then, uh, I'd watch the show-- we sang that a lot last night...
SPJ

 

I'm pretty stoked! I went to dinner with a friend from work and as we walked to her car, I got a call from Sony HR with an offer for a permanent position. I will receive my blue badge and a nice raise next week. But better yet, I get benefits starting on 10/1. I'm a happy camper right now!

 

Congrats SH!

And more Indy news....they are filming on Stage 16 over at Warner Bros.
Large sign at the stage door states that there are surveillance cameras
on at all times within the stage.

 

They've been tearing everything down here on the Indy sets. Kinda sad; I know people would pay good money for some of that stuff! Would be a nice charity auction...

 

I picked up my new hire packet and am filling it out. Wooohooo I'm gonna get a blue badge!

 

Congratulations, SH!

 

Nice, SH, congratulations! You've been putting in some mighty long hours over there at Sony... try to knock that off now that you're permanent.

 

I remember the day I got my blue -- pretty awesome! Good luck SH! And congrats!

 

Yesterday I got to ring up the entire band from Englad known as The Feeling. anyone heard of them? Their music is just ok ( I think)
but they were incredibly sweet.

 

As of 8/2 (I know I haven't posted in AGES) I am an official Service Coordinator at a Senior Resource Center in Torrance. I work in a senior apartment complex and coordinate events for our 192 residents; BINGO, Golf, Billiards, Health Fair, Workshops, Flu Shot clinics, movie and popcorn nights, Excercise, I will be bringing in our Wii for some indoor Bowling and Tennis (thanks to CBM), distribute taxi vouchers, coordinate garden plots etc. etc.

Perks: I get PPO Health coverage in a few months (so i don't have to deal with the HMO to get my Multiple Sclerosis dealt with I can actually see a doctor who works more than 4 hours a week)I have a full time assistant, I am making more than I was being an AmeriCorps Volunteer last year AND it's virtually stress free

Negatives: The resident's are predominately Korean, with some Chinese and 12 English speaking TOTAL. So the language barrier is sometimes frustrating. And just the other day on a lower floor someone dropped a duece in the hallway... I guess every job has it's hazards.

 

Congratulations, CB. I know you will do a wonderful job!